About Me

I am a lawyer in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada who enjoys reading, especially mysteries. Since 2000 I have been writing personal book reviews. This blog includes my reviews, information on and interviews with authors and descriptions of mystery bookstores I have visited. I strive to review all Saskatchewan mysteries. Other Canadian mysteries are listed under the Rest of Canada. As a lawyer I am always interested in legal mysteries. I have a separate page for legal mysteries. Occasionally my reviews of legal mysteries comment on the legal reality of the mystery. You can follow the progression of my favourite authors with up to 15 reviews. Each year I select my favourites in "Bill's Best of ----". As well as current reviews I am posting reviews from 2000 to 2011. Below my most recent couple of posts are the posts of Saskatchewan mysteries I have reviewed alphabetically by author. If you only want a sentence or two description of the book and my recommendation when deciding whether to read the book look at the bold portion of the review. If you would like to email me the link to my email is on the profile page.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Flower Net by Lisa See

4. - 467.) Flower Net by Lisa See – The body of the son of the American ambassador to China is found in the ice in Bejng. The body of the son of a wealthy Chinese businessman is found in a tank of a ship filled with illegal immigrants off the coast of California. Both have died horrible deaths from poison. In China Inspector, Liu Hulan, is stopped from a full investigation. In California Assistant U.S. Attorney, David Stark, determines the death was actually back in China. He has been diligently pursuing investigations against the Rising Phoenix triad. He is convinced they are involved. The governments decide to jointly seek a determination of the deaths of members of the elite. Liu was a Red Guard and then educated in the U.S. Stark met her at university. Liu and Stark investigate on both sides of the Pacific. The action is fast furious around them as they pursue the causes of death. The vivid portrayal of life in China in the late 1990’s is striking. A communist society is in great flux as it deals with an economic turn to a communist form of free enterprise. I had not heard of Red princes and princesses before reading. The story is very well told. I am surprised I had not come any in the series during the past decade. The paperback cover is misleading with a sailing junk before a city scene. Excellent. Hardcover or paperback. (Jan. 17/09)

I stopped by your blog to see if you had a review of IN THE SHADOW OF THE LAW by Kermit Roosevelt (since it is a legal thriller). I saw this post on FLOWER NET by Lisa See. I was glad to see that you enjoyed the book. I have this book and the third one in the short series and I was not sure if I would like them or not. This review assures me that FLOWER NET is worth a try.